Scaffolding for use in building construction

ABSTRACT

A platform supporting transom element of scaffolding, provided at one end with a wedge connection to a vertical scaffold tube, and at the other end with a wall engaging lug spaced above platform level.

United States Patent Gostling 1451 Apr. 18, 1972 [54] SCAF FOLDING FOR USE IN BUILDING References Cited CONSTRUCTION UNITED STATES PATENTS [72] Inventor: Peter Eric Gostling, Sutton Coldfield, En- 2,290,535 7/1942 Cavins ..182/82 gland 3,490,559 1/1970 Torch 182/229 1 1 Assigneel Kwikform' Limited, Birmingham, England FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [22] Filed: July 31, 1970 324,095 l/1935 ltaly ..l82/82 470,342 4/1952 ltaly ..l82/82 [211 APPl- 59,963 1,104,544 2/1968 Great Britain ..l82/82 30] Foreign Applicafion p i m Primary Examiner-Reinaldo P. Machado Attorney-A. Yates Dowell and A. Yates Dowell, Jr. Aug. 2, 1969 Great Britam ..38,8l3/69 [57] ABSTRACT 8 55? A platform supporting transom element of scaffolding, pr0 58] Fie'ld 229 178 vided at one end with a wedge connection to a vertical scaffold tube, and at the other end with a wall engaging lug spaced above platform level.

3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to scaffolding for use in building construction and is intended for application to scaffolding for use in the construction of brick and other masonry walls, for example in house building.

2. Description of the Prior Art The invention is concerned with a new or improved form of transom element of the kind which is adapted to provide a horizontal support for part of a working platform.

The invention has for its object the provision of a transom element of the above kind which enables part of the scaffolding to be supported from the already partially completed building wall with the minimum of interference with the work of the mason in laying successive courses of the bricks or other masonry.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A transom element according to this invention is characterized by having at one of its two ends a dependent spigot adapted for detachable insertion within a supporting socket provided on the exterior of an upright scaffold member, said one end of the transom element being provided with a drivable wedge member adapted when driven, with the spigot within the socket, for clamping engagement with an abutment face provided by the upright member of part connected thereto, so as to secure the spigot within the socket, the transom element at the other of its two ends being connected to the lower end of an upright scaffolding supporting member which projects above the level of the transom element when the latter is in its in situ horizontal position, the upper end of said upright supporting member being adapted for spigot and socket engagement with the lower end of a further upright scaffold member, said upright supporting member being connected to one end of a lug of flat elongated form in cross section and having a free end portion adapted to extend between two vertically adjacent brick or other masonry courses with its flat faces present thereto to support the upright supporting member and upright scaffold member thereon from an already completed part of the wall which is below the lug, with the latter being disposed at a level higher than that of the transom element itself, the arrangement being such that when the transom element carrying the working platform is supported through the lug from the wall, the latter can already extend above the upper face of the working platform to allow of the next course of brick or other masonry immediately above the said lug to be laid at a position spaced above the level of the working platform.

A transom element in accordance with this invention possesses the advantage that in addition to being adapted at one end for wedge clamping spigot and socket support from an already in situ upright member its opposite end is supported from the wall itself thus dispensing with the cost of a supporting upright member therebeneath. At the same time, in so far as the lug is disposed above the level of the transom element, the mason standing on the platform supported by the transom element is not required to stoop low down right to the level of the platform when laying the next course of bricks or masonry immediately above the level of the transom element lug.

Thus as applied to brickwork, each lug may be disposed above the level of the transom element by a distance such as to be two or three brick courses in height above the top of the platform of thickness usually about Hinches -to be supported from the transom element.

The wedge member on the one end of the transom element may be adapted for clamping engagement with an abutment face constituted by an inner face of the upright member socket or by a face of the upright member itself, or by a face on a part other than the socket which is connected to the upright member. e.g. a pressure plate on the upright member at a position adjacent the socket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of part of one form of builders scaffolding for use in house construction and embodying a transom element in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation to an enlarged scale of the transom element depicted in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings the scaffolding depicted in FIG. 1 comprises two rows of upright scaffold members l0, 11 respectively, and respectively disposed adjacent to and spaced away from the wall 12 of the house to be constructed.

Each of these upright members 10, 11, are provided with a plurality of external sockets 13 which are adapted to receive dependent spigots 14 and associated drivable wedge clamping members 15 provided on the opposite ends of the transoms 16 and ledgers 17.

The several upright members in each row are connected together in vertically aligned relationship by connecting means 18.

The lowest upright member 10a of the upright members in the row 10 furthest from the wall 12 are supported from the ground -19 through an adjustable base 20, but the lowest upright members 11a of the row 11 which is nearest to the wall 12 are spaced several feet, e.g. 4 to 5 feet above the ground 19 and instead of being supported from the ground like the members 10a are supported from the already formed wall 12 by transom elements 21 in accordance with this invention.

Each transom element 21 is constructed as a length of metal bar of inverted T form in cross section so that the two flanges 22 are adapted to support opposite ends of sections of working platforms 23.

Each transom element 21 at one end is connected to a bracket 24 carrying a dependent spigot 14 and associated wedge clamping member 15 as already described in relation to transoms 16 and adapted for connection to one of the sockets 13 on the upright members forming the row 10 by inserting the spigot 14 within the socket l3 and then driving the wedge member 15.

Thus the wedge member 15 on transom element 21 is adapted to be driven within one of the sockets 13 and when so driven to have clamping engagement with an abutment free on the interior of the socket to secure the spigot within the socket.

The other end of each transom element 21 is connected to the lower portion of a vertically disposed upright supporting member 25 constructed as a short length of tube and provided at its upper end with a spigot portion 26 which engages within the lower end of the corresponding upright member 11a formed as in the case of all of the upright members of the rows 10,11 as tubes.

The supporting members 25 are each provided nearer their upper ends than their lower ends, i.e. spaced as described above the level of the transom elements 21, with brick course engaging lugs 27 in the form of flat section bars extending from the members 25 towards the wall 12 and secured to the members 25 by forming the lugs with holes through which the members 25 extend welded to the edges of the holes, the lugs being additionally connected by gusset plates 28. These lugs 27 serve the purpose already described.

By making the transom elements 21 of inverted T-form in cross section the upper surface of the platforms 23 is disposed at the lowest level possible in relation to the transom element. Accordingly for a given level of each lug 27 above the associated transom element the working platform is disposed at the lowest position in relation to each lug 27 thereby assisting in the operation of laying the bricks or other masonry course.

Iclaim:

l. A transom element of the kind which is adapted to provide a horizontal support for part of a working platform said transom element being characterized by having at one of its two ends a dependent spigot adapted for detachable insertion within a supporting socket provided on the exterior of an upright scaffold member, said one end of the transom element being provided with a drivable wedge member adapted when driven, with the spigot within the socket, for clamping engagement with an abutment face provided by the upright member or part connected thereto, so as to secure the spigot within the socket, the transom element at the other of its two ends being connected to the lower end of an upright scaffolding supporting member which projects above the level of the transom element when the latter is in its in situ horizontal position, the upper end of said supporting member being adapted for spigot and socket engagement with the lower end of a further upright scaffold member, the upright supporting member being connected to one end of a lug of flat elongated form in cross section and having a free end portion adapted to extend between two vertically adjacent brick or other masonry courses with its flat faces presented thereto to support the upright supporting member and upright scaffold member, thereon from an already completed part of the wall which is below the lug, with the latter being disposed at a level higher than that of the transom element itself, the arrangement being such that when the transom element carrying the working platform is supported through the lug from the wall, the latter can already extend above the upper face of the working platform to allow of the next course of brick or other masonry immediately above the said lug to be laid at a position spaced above the level of the working platform.

2. A transom element according to claim 1 wherein the upright scaffolding supporting member is formed as a length of tube the upper end of which is adapted for spigot and socket engagement with the lower end of a vertically aligned scaffold tube constituting said upright scaffold member.

3. A transom element according to claim 1 wherein the element is of inverted T form in cross section. 

1. A transom element of the kind which is adapted to provide a horizontal support for part of a working platform said transom element being characterized by having at one of its two ends a dependent spigot adapted for detachable insertion within a supporting socket provided on the exterior of an upright scaffold member, said one end of the transom element being provided with a drivable wedge member adapted when driven, with the spigot within the socket, for clamping engagement with an abutment face provided by the upright member or part connected thereto, so as to secure the spigot within the socket, the transom element at the other of its two ends being connected to the lower end of an upright scaffolding supporting member which projects above the level of the transom element when the latter is in its in situ horizontal position, the upper end of said supporting member being adapted for spigot and socket engagement with the lower end of a further upright scaffold member, the upright supporting member being connected to one end of a lug of flat elongated form in cross section and having a free end portion adapted to extend between two vertically adjacent brick or other masonry courses with its flat faces presented thereto to support the upright supporting member and upright scaffold member, thereon from an already completed part of the wall which is below the lug, with the latter being disposed at a level higher than that of the transom element itself, the arrangement being such that when the transom element carrying the working platform is supported through the lug from the wall, the latter can already extend above the upper face of the working platform to allow of the next course of brick or other masonry immediately above the said lug to be laid at a position spaced above the level of the working platform.
 2. A transom element according to claim 1 wherein the upright scaffolding supporting member is formed as a length of tube the upper end of which is adapted for spigot and socket engagement with the lower end of a vertically aligned scaffold tube constituting said upright scaffold member.
 3. A transom element according to claim 1 wherein the element is of inverted T form in cross section. 